Clay-excavator.



No. 898,079. PATENTED SEPT. a, 1908. R. N. WILLIAMS, JR. CLAY EXGAVATOR.APPLICATION FILED DEG. 30,1907.

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APPLICATION FILED DEO.30, 1907.

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No. 898,079. PATENTED SEPT. a, 1908.

. R. N. WILLIAMS,.JB.

CLAY EXGAVATQR.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.30 ,1907.

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No. 898,079. PATENTED SEPT. s, 1908.

11. 11.. WILLIAMS, JR.

CLAY EXGAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.30, 1907.

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PATENTED SEPT. a, 1908.

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R N. WILLIAMS, JR CLAY EXCAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED nno.so,19o7.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT NEIL WILLIAMS, JR,

OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CLAY-EXCAVATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT NEIL VVIL- LIAMS, Jr., citizen, of the UnitedStates, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Clay-Excavators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My present invention relates particularly to the mining of toughfire-brick clays, and comprises means whereby these clays can be takenfrom a bank or it and loaded into cars, with a minimum 0 hand labor.

The tough clays on which my machine works to best advantage are to befound Germany and in certain portions of New Jersey and are used largelyfor the manufacture of fire-bricks, pottery, porous building blocks andsimilar products. The clays ordinarily occur in approximately horizontalstrata, varying somewhat in chemical composition and sometimescontaining im urities such as iron ores or coal. In genera the materialfrom the several strata must be kept separate, each being used for thepar ticular purpose to which, by virtue of its special chemical comosition, it is best adapted. The clays are so t and yielding but are sovery tough and tenacious that great difliculty has heretofore beenexperienced in removing them from the bank. Dynamite cannot successfullybe used. It serves merely to heave up the clay locally without actuallydestroying the integrity of the deposit; The clays are too tough andtenacious to be successfully plowed or shoveled, and in fact are sopeculiar in their physical characteristics that power-driven excavatingmachinery of ordinary types have never been commonly used thereon.

My present invention comprises a powerdriven cutter-tube which can beforced into a deposit of tough clay to cut out a column or slug, andwhich, when subsequently withdrawn, carries with it the slug, ultimatelydelivering the latter to a suitable belt conveyer by which it may beloaded into wagons or cars. To secure this result, the cuttertube isopen at the end opposite the cutting scription taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. December 30, 1907.

chute 8 into a wagon 9.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

Serial No. 408,495.

In the drawing, Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of my invention,wherein a single cutter-tube is used; Fig; 2 is a perspective of acutter-tube and-driving cylinder, with certain portions broken away;Fig. 3 is a detail, partly in section, showing the relation of thetubular cutter, the driving piston and the belt conveyer; Figs. 4 and 5are, respectively, an end elevation and a plan view of the same; Fig. 6is a sectional elevation showing the valve used to control the drivingcylinder; Fig. 7 illustrates a second embodiment provided with aplurality of cuttertubes; Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the cuttingmechanism thereof, and Fig. 9 is an end elevation showing all thecutter-tubes in operation.

In Fig. 1, the excavator is shown suspended from a crane 1 provided withsuitable tackle by which the excavator can be lowered and otherwiseadjusted in the clay pit. The excavator comprises a tubular cutter 2,preferably square in cross section, provided at its lower end with acutting edge 3. Connected to the tubular cutter and movable therewith isa driving cylinder 4 having a stationary piston 5 and piston rod 6. Thepiston rod is hollow and serves to deliver compressed air to thecylinder, as hereinafter described. The tubular cutter and its drivingcylinder are carried in the end of a long steel box or casing 7, withrespect to which they move up and down as each slug of clay is cut fromthe bank or pit. This box or casing 7 serves to inclose a conveyer bywhich the excavated clay is raised to a suitable level for dumpingthrough a The conveyer may be driven by an electric motor 10 gearedthereto. Compressed air for operating the driving cylinder 4 may beconveniently supplied by a motor driven air compressor 11 communicatingwith the driving cylinder through suitable tubing 12. v

The box or casing 7 is provided with side handles 13 whereby it can beguided by the operator. Above these handles are handlevers 14 forcontrolling the entrance of air to the driving cylinder, as well as itsexit therefrom, thereby controlling the stroke of the tubular cutter 2.For a better understanding of the details of construction, reference maybe had to Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The tubular cutter 2 is of uniformcross-section throughout but has a sheet metal extension 15 inclosingand protecting the driving cylinder 4. Inclosing the tubular cutter andits attached driving cylinder is a collar 16 serving as a guideway andbearing for the reciprocating elements. This collar is rigidly securedto the several plates of the box or casing 7. At each successivedownward movement of the tubular cutter and cylinder, a slug 17 of clayis cut from the pit and serves to force upward, through the cutter, theslug which immediately preceded it. The natural tenacity and stickinessof fire-brick clay prevent the slugs from slipping out of the cutterwhen it is raised for another cut; but to assist this action, thetubular cutter may, if desired, be provided with numerous smallprojections or prongs 18 integral with the walls thereof and extendinginto the slug. When a slug has been raised sufficiently, it is engagedby the buckets 1 9 of the belt conveyer or elevator and is carried upfor discharge through a suitable chute.

Fig. 6 illustrates the valve control of the driving cylinder. Thecylinder 4 is provided with a suitably packed head through which passesthe stationary piston rod 6. As previously stated, this red is hollowand serves to convey compressed air or other expansive fluid from thesupply pipe 12 to the cylinder. With the piston-head 5 in the positionshown in Fig. 6, the air passes through ports 20 and lifts the cylinderalong the piston-rod. The other end of the cylinder exhausts through thepiston-head by way of ports 21 and a tube 22 inclosed in the hollowpiston-rod. This second tube carries at its lower end a packed headhaving ports 23 for cooperation with either ports 20 or 21. When theupward movement is complete, the tube 22 is raised in suitable manner toshut off the air supply through ports 20 and to open up an exhaustpassage by way of ports 23. With the valve in the raised position, airis sup plied through ports 21 by way of the vertical channels 24 andthen serves to force the cylinder downward for another cut in the clay.As a means for raising and lowering the inner tube 22 to secure propercut-off, I use the hand levers 14 which loosely engage a collar 25secured to the upper end of tube 22. If desired, the cut-0E may be madeautomatic by means of a vertical rod 26 (see Fig. 4) carried by thecylinder 4 and having adjustable lugs 27 and 23 which, at the propertime, strike against the lever 14 and automatically raise or lower thesame.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 differs in some respects fromthat just described. A plurality of tubular cutters are used, allmounted on the end of a car and adapted to cut down on either side ofthe rails on which the ear is carried. The car itself may consist of buta simple steel framework rigidly built and suitably mounted on runninggear. It carries a motor-driven air compressor 29, supplying air to anequalizing tank 30 which communicates with a distributing head 31 fromwhich the several driving cylinders receive their supply. The tubularcutters 32, of which there are six arranged across the end of the car,each carries a driving cylinder 33 mounted thereon and movable up anddown on a stationary piston-rod 34. Each tubular cutter discharges clayfrom its upper end upon a bucket con veyer 35, driven in a suitablemanner, as by an electric motor 36- For the four central cutters,operative between the rails of the track, a single bucket conveyer maysuffice, but for the end cutters, separate conveyers are preferable.Clay carried upward by the conveyers is discharged through a chute 37into suitable cars or carts.

To secure proper regulation of the air supplied to the driving cylinders33, I utilize concentric valves of the type previously described. Icontrol all the valves simultaneously by means of U shaped levers 3Skeyed to a rock-shaft 39. The levers 38 are similar to, and correspondwith, the levers 14 of Fig. 5. The rock-shaft 39 is actuated through alink 40 connected with a hand lever 41 within easy reach of an operatorstanding on the end platform 42.

The flexibility of control afforded by the use of compressed air orsimilar expansive fluid is of first importance. The depth of out can beregulated at will and the cuttings thereby be made to follow closely thenatural strata of the clay, thus avoiding contamination of one stratumby different material from the next.

4 In case a tubular cutter is thrust into very hard clay or into claycarrying gravel or other resisting material, it may fail to complete anentire stroke, in which event, however, no unusual shock is imparted toany part of the equipment and no unusual stress is applied. The airpressure may be held on the piston until the cutter tube has graduallysettled through the impeding material, or, if desired, recourse may behad to a special drop hammer arrangement mounted above the cylinders andoperative to assist in driving the cutter tube downward.

A separate drop hammer arrangement is gages with one or another of theserungs and serves to lift the weight a short distance, letting it drop onthe cylinder top. When the cylinder and cutter are at the upward limitof their path, the cam passes freely under the lowermost rung or roller,but as the is about the same as that of its cooperating cylinder. Thisinsures an upward movement free from hammer blows.

The six cutters shown in Fig. 9 correspond in every way with the tubularcutter of Figs. 2 and 3, and cooperate with one another in cutting asort of trench at right angles to the car track. As the workproceeds'and the car is moved progressively down the track,

the cutters take out all clay not covered by the rails andties therebyleaving the latter resting on a skeleton of clay a-foot or two inthickness. As soon as a complete out has been made, the clay skeletonunder the rails and ties can be knocked out with a maul, whereupon thetrack settles to a new position and the excavator can be run back foranother cut.

It is apparent that the apparatus described may be varied in many wayswithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. In a clay excavator, a tubular cutter I having a cutting edge at oneend, a uniform bore throughout, and a discharge opening at the endopposite said cutting edge.

2. In a clay excavator, a tubular cutter of rectangular cross-sectionhaving a cutting edge at one end, a uniform bore throughout, projectionswithin said cutter for holding clay therein, and a discharge opening forsaid day at the end of said cutter opposite said cutting edge.

3. In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter, and fluiddriven means con nected therewith for forcing said cutter into a claybank and for withdrawing it therefrom. V

4. In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter, a drivingcylinder rigidly connected therewith, a stationary piston for saidcylinder, and means for supplying an expansive fluid to said cylinder toproject said tubular cutter into a clay bank.

5. In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter having acutting edge at one end and a discharge opening at the other end, meansfor driving said cutter into a clay deposit and for withdrawing ittherefrom, and a conveyer adjacent to said cutter and operative toreceive material discharged therethrough.

6. In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter having acutting edge atone 66 end and a discharge opening at the other end,

deposit and to withdraw it therefrom, and a conveyer having bucketswhich pass by said discharge opening.

7. In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter, and drivingmeans connected therewith, said means comprising a cylinder rigidlyconnected .to said cutter, a piston stationary with respect to saidcutter, and passages through said piston for the entrance and exit of adriving fluid.

8. In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter, a cylinderrigidly connected with said cutter and movable therewith, a hollowpiston for said cylinder, an inner tube passing through said hollowpiston and carrying a valve, and means for moving said inner tube tocontrol the movements of said tubular cutter.

9. In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter having acutting edge at one end and a discharge opening at the opposite end, adriving cylinder rigidly connected to said cutter, a stationary pistonin said cylinder, means within said piston for controlling the supply ofexpansive fluid to said cylinder, and a conveyer adjacent to thedischarge end of said cutter for transporting clay discharged therefromwhen the tubular cutter is driven into a clay deposit by said drivingcylinder.

10. In a clay excavator, the combination of a car, a plurality oftubular cutters mounted across the end thereof, a driving cylinder foreach cutter, means for controlling the supply of an expansive fluid tosaid cylinders to raise and lower said cutters and means for elevatingthe clay discharged from the upper ends of said tubular cutters.

11. In a clay excavator, the combination of a car, a plurality oftubular cutters mounted across the end thereof, a driving cylindermounted above each cutter and movable therewith, a stationary piston foreach cylinder having a passage for the entrance of a driving fluid, acommon fluid supply for said cylinders, and means for controlling thepassage of fluid from said source to said cylinders.

12. In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter, a drivingcylinder connected therewith to force said cutter into the clay, andmeans for pounding on said cylinder to assist in driving said cutter.

13. In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter, fluidactuated means for moving said cutter into a clay deposit, and means fordelivering a hammer blow to said cutter while moving into said clay.

14,. "In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter, a fluiddriven cylinder for pushing said cutter into a clay deposit, and ahammer supported above said cylinder and operative to assist in drivingsaid cutter.

15. In a clay excavator, the combination. of a plurality of tubularcutters, a driving cylinder for each cutter, a drop hammer cooperatingwith each cylinder in driving its cutter, a series of cams for liftingsaid hammers, and a driving means common to all said cams.

16. In a clay excavator, the combination of a tubular cutter having acutting edge at one end and a discharge opening at the 0p- 10 positeend, a driving cylinder mounted on said cutter, a stationary piston forsaid cylinder, a hammer sliding on said piston, and a cam for raisingsaid hammer ROBERT NEIL WILLIAMS, JR.

Vitnesses:

JOHN P. JUDGE, E. M. VVALTHER.

